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In these areas it has been found that the most satisfactory procedure is the issue of Certificates
of Unfitness under the Housing Subsidies Act, 1956, (now the Housing (Financial Provisions)
Act, 1958) after the unfit properties have been acquired by the Council.
Formerly, in those cases where the procedure for the making of Demolition or Closing Orders
was running concurrently with the negotiations of the Borough Treasurer or District Valuer for the
acquisition of the properties, owners have not infrequently expressed a fear that the Council was
using its powers to condemn the properties in order to obtain the sites for nothing.
Now, wherever practicable, action by the Public Health Department is withheld until after the
purchase of the properties by the Council has been completed. Certificates of Unfitness are then
issued and forwarded to the Minister of Housing and Local Government for confirmation and the matter
referred to the Borough Housing Officer for the rehousing of the tenants.
In order to assist in the negotiations for the acquisition of properties in the areas of proposed
redevelopment, a preliminary survey of all the properties is carried out by the Deputy Senior Public
Health Inspector and reports on their condition submitted to the Borough Treasurer and District
Valuer. These reports indicate which properties are so unfit as to warrant, the making of Demolition
or Closing Orders and indicate the state of repair of the others. This assists in the assessment
of the value of the properties and also gives an indication of the number of families in respect
of which the Council might expect to receive "slum clearance" subsidies.
RENT ACT, 1957
The following figures show the number of applications for Certificates of Disrepair and
Revocation received and the action taken during the year.
Applications for Certifcates of Disrepair
Number of applications for certificates 63
Number of decisions not to issue certificates 2
Number of decisions to issue certificates: 56
(a) in respect of some but not all defects 47
(b) in respect of all defects 9
Number of undertakings given by landlords
under paragraph 5 of the First Schedule 41
Number of undertakings refused by Local Authority -
Number of Certificates issued 37
Applications for Cancellation of Certificates
Applications by landlords to Local Authority
for cancellation of certificates 10
Objections by tenants to cancellation of
certificates 4
Decisions by Local Authority to cancel in
spite of tenants' objection 1
Certificates cancelled bv Local Authority 7
48